Coconut Island

Coconut Island, Poruma Island, or Puruma in the local language, is an island in the Great North East Channel near Cumberland Passage, Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. One of the Torres Strait Islands, Coconut Island is northeast of Thursday Island. Administratively, Coconut Island is a town and Poruma Island is the locality within the Shire of Torres. The ancestors of Coconut Island built their houses out of grass, coconut leaves and trees that floated down from the Fly River jungles of Papua New Guinea. The islands have sea turtle hatcheries, bird life, giant clam ground, huge palms, World War II relics and massive sand flats. Language The language of Poruma (locally known as Puruma) is the Kulkalgau Ya dialect of Kalau Lagau Ya.